The Letter
by PhoebeWilliams
Summary: Jane and Lisbon had been held captive by Red John and in the process confessed feelings that neither of them knew they had. Aftermath. JISBON. One shot.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys. This is my attempt at a Jisbon oneshot. Please let me know your thoughts. Have been writing a lot of stuff where Jane and Lisbon are apart so I attempted something a little bit different. Hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the mentalist : (**

**The Letter**

Lisbon took a deep breath before slowly making her way up to Jane's work space at the top of the CBI building. It was a trip she made almost daily but something about this visit was different, and that made her nervous.

It had been a very eventful day to say the least. They had caught Red John, the real one this time, but not before he had held them both captive for well-over 24 hours. Had it not been for the hard work and quick-thinking of her beloved team, Cho, Rigsby and Van Pelt then she would be dead, along with her consultant whom she was about to pay a very important visit.

It was definitely the adrenaline that came with surviving a near-death experience that gave her the nerve to pay Jane a visit so that they could both confront the giant elephant in the room. His words still etched clearly in her mind: "_Please take me. Torture me. Kill me. Do whatever you want just please don't hurt her. I love her please just let her go, she is the only good thing in my life and I swear if you lay one finger on her then you will regret it!"_

Just as they thought they were going to die she was quick to confess her love for him after all this time. She didn't know when she fell in love with him, she had never considered that those feelings existed but they had obviously being laying dormant unbeknownst to everyone, even herself.

Mere seconds after they proclaimed their feelings for one another, Cho came storming into the basement where they had been held captive and took down Red John in the swift way that only Cho could. Lisbon hated herself for not biting her tongue for just a few more moments, because if she had then she wouldn't need to be making this trip right now. She and Jane had often flirted on occasion, they had even pretended to be husband and wife on numerous occasions during a case; but there was always a line that they never crossed, until now. They were colleagues, crime-fighters and more importantly, they were best friends. This was why she was determined to sort this out now before things became complicated.

Jane obviously knew she was coming because as she entered the loft space she saw him sat on the couch, wearing a warm smile and holding out a glass of her favourite whisky. Well, she didn't expect any less from him; he was a mind-reader after all.

'Ah Lisbon, I've been expecting you.' He said in his usual cheery upbeat tone whilst patting the spot on the sofa next to him.

She made her way over to him and without even thinking she downed the whisky in one go and lay on the sofa so her legs were stretched out across his lap. It felt good to lie down and for a while they both stayed silent. It was a comfortable silence, the type only achieved when two people are completely at ease with one another; and they were.

Lisbon felt safe, warm and loved. It's amazing how people take those things for granted until they are suddenly left feeling cold and in danger, which she had been up until a few hours ago. Thinking about the day's events caused a single tear to run down her cheek. Before she could do anything about it she felt Jane's warm hand gently cup her cheek and using his thumb he slowly wiped the tear away. She felt his smooth, soft voice speak and it was like honey to her ears.

'Well today was... eventful.'

Lisbon couldn't help but let out a splutter of laughter. She felt his eyes bearing into her and she sat up to face him.

Jane had the strangest feeling that he couldn't quite pinpoint. It was a mixture of relief, exhaustion and uncertainty. He was relieved that Red John was dead; it was like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he could breathe again. He was relieved that Teresa had made it out alive a relatively unharmed. Physically she was fine but who knows what sort of mental scars this encounter with Red John would inflict on her. Jane knew that she was a strong woman and could cope more than most but at least she was alive. The idea that Red John almost took her away from him was enough to make him shake and had he succeeded then Jane knew he would be damaged far beyong repair.

Now that Red John was dead, truly dead, the exhaustion hit him with the force of Lisbon's punches, which he was all to accustomed to. The years of sleepless nights and insomnia finally caught up with him and the only thing keeping his eyes open was the beautiful sight sat opposite him. He hadn't realised how much he loved her until she had almost been snatched from him. He saw all members of the unit as his family, but Lisbon was different. He had trusted her with his life and his deepest darkest secrets. She had seen him on the brink of self-destruction and hadn't turned away. Instead, she pulled him back and gave him hope again. He was just as much taken by suprise by her declaration of love as she obviously had been by his. She had been a lot more dignified than he had been at the point where they both thought that death was imminent. Her calm, softly spoken words that had comforted him at the time were still circulating around in his head: "_Jane, listen to me. I love you too. I know that you don't believe in god but you have to believe in me. This evil man will be brought to justice I know that. Even if it is too late for us, Cho and the others will be lead directly to him and they won't rest until he pays for what he has done. I love you Jane and I don't want you die not knowing just how much you matter to me. You're amazing and I just wish I had told you sooner."_

Thus leading him to the uncertainty he was feeling. He hadn't thought of a future beyond Red John. He had never dared himself to hope that he could ever feel happy again, yet the woman sat next to him embodied hope and thoughts of a potentially happy future entered his head. She smiled at him and he felt everything brighten; he felt warm again.

'Where's the rest of the team?' he asked, although if he was being honest all he cared about was her.

'Rigsby has gone to pick up a dozen pizza's with Grace. He said something about this being the biggest close cased pizza ever.'

Jane couldn't help but laugh at the image of Rigsby stocking up on a year's supply of junk food, any excuse. 'And what about Cho?'

'Being treated like a hero by everybody, which of course he is. Last time I saw him he was surrounded by news reporters and giving them one-word answers.' Lisbon smiled fondly. The image of her second in command remaining as stoic as ever in such a jubilant event was enough to stifle a huge chuckle, which in her exhausted state forced her to yawn loudly.

'Tired?'

Lisbon nodded in reply, and much to her delight Jane pulled her towards him, offering his chest a comfortable pillow and she instinctively curled up in the foetal position. He inhaled the delicious scent of her vanilla perfume and coconut shampoo. His arms clamped around her small frame like a vice and he smiled as she only clung to him tighter. He felt a part of him at peace and would be quite happy to stay like this forever, only a small part of him knew that he would have to leave soon. Everything had happened too fast for him to get his head around and the last thing he wanted was to mess this up- whatever this was. For the time being though he was happy for Lisbon's steady heartbeat on his chest to slowly send him into what would be the most peaceful sleep he would have had in years.

Just as his eyes were about to close he heard the soft mumblings of a Teresa Lisbon who was about to fall asleep at any moment too. 'I don't take back anything that I said Jane.'

'Me neither, Teresa. Me neither.'

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Teresa Lisbon awoke the next morning with a smile on her face. Suddenly life was filled with so many possibilities, and she felt like she now had a reason to get up in the morning. However, her new found optimism was short lived when she realised that she was alone on the couch that had shared with Jane last night. She felt a knot form in the pitt of her stomach; he was gone. She had feared that this day would come. Once Red John was dead what reason did he have to stock around?

Just as she felt the tears begin to form she spotted an envelope propped up on Jane's desk, addressed to her. She picked it up and with trembling hands pulled out a letter, written Jane's elegant hand.

_Lisbon,_

_You looked so peaceful that I couldn't possibly bear to wake you. In fact it took me half an hour to tear myself away from staring at your beautiful sleeping self- you have the most adorable pout when you are asleep. _

_Please don't be upset that I've gone, it won't be forever I assure you. Now that Red John is dead I have an opportunity to put the past behind me once and for good. Before I do that however, i owe it to my wife and daughter to grieve for them properly. Since their death, I have been filled with anger, guilt, and self-loathing. They deserve more than that. Now that Red John is dead I can think of them and only them without my thoughts constantly focused on the man who took them from me in the first place. And you deserve more._

_I love you Teresa. I must admit that it took me by surprise, how could it not. We are chalk and cheese and it's ironic how under any other circumstances we probably would have never clicked. Had you known me as a young man then you would have despised me as a charlatan and a fraud. I, on the other hand would have seen you're little miss fierce attitude as a come-on and would have spent a good long time in trying, and no doubt failing, to seduce you. But you helped me become a better person and for that I am ever-grateful. You deserve more than a man who is still so damaged which is why I have to go for the time being. I so desperately want to be that man, Teresa. You've been my rock for the past nine years, my confidante, my security and my best friend. You've given me so much and I feel that the only way I can return the favour is by getting my head straight first._

_So, I'm asking you to wait for me. I normally would never dream of asking this, but we both know that this could be something special and I don't want past mistakes to ruin the chance of us finally being happy. I won't be gone long, and you know me well enough now to know that I would never break a promise to you. In the meantime, I suggest you take some time off work, Cho is more than capable to of covering for you while you take a much deserved vacation. You should go to Chicago and spend some time with your brothers and your nieces and nephews because once I'm back i can assure you that I will take up the majority of your free time._

_You're an amazing woman Teresa and I hope that when I'm back I can strive to be as good to you as you have been to me._

_All my love,_

_Patrick (Jane)_

_Ps: Thank you._

**The End.**

**So that was my first attempt at a one-shot. Thoughts and reviews and criticism is greatly appreciated :) **


	2. Three weeks later

**Hi guys, hope you all had a great Christmas. So this was supposed to be a one-shot but I was so touched by the great reviews that I am happily turning this into a multi-chap…. Not too long tho, I reckon there will be another two chapters after this. Am working on this and the next part of Culture Clash atm so you can expect a new chapter for that one in the next few days. Once again thank you for all the reviews, alerts and subscriptions etc, you all rock. **

**Disclaimer: Despite asking santa, I do not own the mentalist :( **

Three weeks later...

Teresa felt weird about being back in Chicago. It was her home city, and she loved it, but it symbolised so much about her past. It was the setting where her large, but loving family was ripped apart after the death of her mother and the eventual self-destruction of her father. Everywhere she walked she was greeted by a memory; the schools she went to, the park bench where she had her first kiss and the basketball courts where she would play with her brothers and her cousins. All of this felt like a lifetime ago. When she was 19 she got offered a full scholarship to San Diego University, her brothers were a lot older and being looked after by her grandmother, and she had never looked back.

A week after her near death encounter with Jane, she had taken up his advice and headed back east to visit her family. She had made a detour to New York to visit her youngest brother James. Now a successful lawyer with a wife and two adorable twin boys, Teresa had to admit that her little brother was all grown up- which he had been for years, she just hated admitting it to herself.

After a much needed break in the big apple where she enjoyed simply being a doting Aunty to baby Harry and David, she spent the remainder of the past fortnight being fussed over by her other brothers Tommy and Jack. This whole near death experience made her realise just how much she loved her family, and she could certainly tell that they had started to view her differently. She knew that her brothers loved her, but since the untimely death of her mother a part of her had always worried that she could no longer be a sister to them. She had to be the carer and the rule-maker rather than their playmate and comrade. She had been worried that this would forever create a distance between them but alas she had been proved wrong. Her brothers, with the help of their children had treated her like a queen since her arrival, never leaving her side and looking after her for once.

She had been kept so occupied the past three weeks that her thoughts about Jane weren't completely dominating her mind- for which she was glad. She couldn't deny the fact that she had been heartbroken when she first received his letter, however after an hour of crying and self-pity she quickly realised that everything he said had been true. He definitely deserved to grieve for his wife and daughter without the evil shadow of red john hanging over him. She knew, as well as he, that this thing between the pair of them was something special and monumental and should be handled carefully. She was scared. She had never felt like this before. She constantly had butterflies thinking about him and what was to come, a feeling that usually dies out after being a teenager. She had been in a few semi-serious relationships before, but she had never been with someone who made her feel the way that Jane made her feel- which is what scared her the most. She had only witnessed that kind of deep love once before in her life, and it was this experience that prevented her from letting her guard down around men. It was this nagging feeling that lead her into the outskirts of Chicago to visit someone she hadn't seen in a frighteningly long time.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Maria Bailey may be eighty-six but she was still as sharp as anybody in their twenties. As Teresa entered the foyer of the retirement home she felt a smile instantly form across her face as she saw the old woman fleecing the other residents in a poker game.

Maria's poker face faltered instantly when she saw Teresa. She shot up and sprinted over to her with the speed and agility that would rival any youngster before squeezing her in a giant bear hug.

'Ah, Teresa my dear it's so good to see you, 'she said in a thick Irish accent, despite the fact that she emigrated to America when she 15, 'let me look at you properly.'

Teresa obliged while her beloved grandmother took her in and proceeded to show her off to her fellow residents.

'Everybody, this is my granddaughter Teresa. She's a hero you know, you might recognise her from the news the other week, it was thanks to her that they caught red john- best detective in the country my little Teresa is.'

Lisbon felt herself blush while everyone in the retirement home gathered around to gush over her. She had never enjoyed being the centre of attention but there was something quite sweet about her grandmother showing her off in this way. After her mother died her grandmother became the most important woman in her life and she enjoyed making her proud. It made her sick to think about how she hadn't managed to get away in over five years to come and see her. They talked on the phone constantly, Maria had even gotten the hang of Skype, but it wasn't the same as actually being here in the same room as each other.

Lisbon managed to sweet-talk the owners of the retirement home into letting her take her grandmother out for coffee, and by coffee she meant beer because Maria Bailey may be encroaching on ninety but she was still partial to the odd tipple now and then.

'There's a guy isn't there.' Maria stated with certainty once their drinks had been ordered and they were settled in a quiet booth of Riley's Irish bar.

'Is it that obvious?' Lisbon asked, not even attempting to hide the truth.

'My dear you are an open book to me, in the best sense of course, but even a stranger could tell that you are in love. You're bright eyes are sparkling more than usual and you are wearing that permanent smile on your face which is unusual for somebody who narrowly escaped death not a month ago. It's that Patrick Jane fella isn't it.'

Teresa couldn't help but smile at the mere mention of his name, maybe she had turned into one of those annoying love sick women.

'Yes Granny, that's his name. How'd you know?'

'Teresa you have talked about him in some capacity in every conversation we have ever since he joined your team nine years ago. Usually you bitch about him and his dubious yet brilliant methods of catching criminals. Although I've never met the man I can imagine that he is the perfect match sparring partner for you and your quick wit and sharp tongue, plus I've seen pictures and I hope you don't me saying that I certainly wouldn't kick him out of bed.'

Teresa laughed so hard at her grandmother's brashness that beer virtually came out of her nose. This humorous reaction had appeared to have gone unnoticed by Maria who continued to talk.

'In fact, the way you talk about this Patrick Jane is very similar to how your mother used to talk about your father. Always arguing about something those two, it was obvious from the first moment they met that they were destined to be together,'

Lisbon felt her mouth turn dry and a large knot form in the pit of her stomach. The mention of her mother and father stirred up countless emotions that had clearly become visible in her sudden change of facial expressions.

'I'm sorry sweetheart did I upset you?'

'No, of course not Granny it's just….' Teresa cleared her throat before revealing a deep-rooted fear that she had never spoken of before to anyone. 'I'm scared to be honest, well, terrified is the more accurate word really…. I've just never felt this way before about anybody. And it's not that I don't trust him, I trust him with my life which is a pretty big deal for someone like me; and we've been through so much together. He makes me feel safe, which is what scares me the most…'

'Is this because of your mother and father dear?' Maria said so softy it was barely audible and Lisbon replied with a small nod while trying to fight back tears that were forming fast.

'They loved each other so much, that was obvious ever since I could remember. But when mom died, that love between them was so powerful, well you saw what it did to my Dad. He loved her so much that once she was gone he couldn't even hold it together for me and the boys. I swore that I would never let somebody become that important to me, it's just too risky…'

Lisbon felt her grandmother lightly squeeze her hand as more tears flowed down her face. She had never voiced that fear to anybody, although from the look on Maria's face it obviously wasn't a huge surprise.

'Teresa, sweetheart, you can't let your past determine your future. It's true that I had never seen to people more in love than your father and my daughter; they were besotted with each other. But that doesn't mean that love is bad, far from it in fact. When my Isabelle, your mother, died it broke all of our hearts. Your father, well he just wasn't strong enough to cope- it doesn't mean he loved you any less. Your mom and dad had been an item since high-school so he didn't know who he was without her. You on the other hand are so strong and know who you are. You deserve some happiness Teresa and I hope that you and this Patrick fellow will get your act together soon while I'm still around to witness it.'

Lisbon smiled as her thoughts turned to the no doubt humorous interactions that would take place should Jane ever meet her Grandmother. She thought about Jane, wondering where he was, what he was doing and whether he was thinking about her…


End file.
